Biggest Early Rivalry Battles on 2017 College Football Recruiting Trail

College football fans always look forward to when rival teams clash on the field each season. But some of the game's best rivalry matchups go beyond the football field and onto the recruiting trail.

Due to close proximity and shared desire to get the best of the best each recruiting cycle, rivalries often play out in the recruitment process of blue-chip prospects.

Whether it's a classic Alabama-Auburn or Florida-Florida State battle for an in-state recruit or a regional rivalry such as Michigan-Ohio State or Oklahoma-Texas, the rivalry recruiting battle is usually one of the best to follow each cycle.

While we still have a long way to go before national signing day 2017, here are nine of the biggest rivalry battles right now for top-100 recruits in the 247Sports composite rankings. These selections were based on the early declared leaders by the prospects themselves and the projected favorites by the experts on 247Sports' "crystal ball" predictions for each recruit.

Who do you see coming out on top in these already-heated recruiting rivalries for the class of 2017? Let us know in the comments below.

Donovan Peoples-Jones: Michigan vs. Michigan State vs. Ohio State

Credit: 247Sports (David Lake)

5-star WR

Overall Ranking: 7 | WR Ranking: 1

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan (Cass Tech) | Size: 6'2", 192 pounds

Donovan Peoples-Jones is one of the biggest can't-miss prospects in the entire country for the class of 2017—a top-rated wide receiver who has incredible speed, size and a skill set that makes him a college-ready star.

The Detroit native was named a 247Sports 5-star recruit earlier this month, making him the first Michigan prospect to earn that honor since former Michigan State defensive lineman William Gholston, per Steve Lorenz of 247Sports.

And the Spartans, unsurprisingly, are in the mix for Peoples-Jones, joining Big Ten East rivals Michigan and Ohio State in what should be an area recruiting battle for the ages. All three schools are currently tied on the 247Sports crystal ball predictions for Peoples-Jones.

"Ultimately, Ohio State [and] Michigan, I think it's a classic recruiting battle between the two rivals," Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer said earlier this month. "But because it's so early...don't count out somebody else who could sneak in and ultimately close as time goes on."

Deangelo Gibbs: Georgia vs. Tennessee

Credit: 247Sports (Tom Loy)

5-star CB

Overall Ranking: 10 | CB Ranking: 2

Hometown: Loganville, Georgia (Grayson) | Size: 6'2", 204 pounds

In the last cycle, Georgia and Tennessee fans witnessed a long recruiting battle for highly touted defensive back Nigel Warrior, the son of former Volunteers great Dale Carter.

This cycle, those two schools will go at it again for Carter's nephew, 5-star cornerback and top-10 overall recruit Deangelo Gibbs. The star defensive back is from Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia—a school that has produced Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and Clemson running back Wayne Gallman in recent years.

In-state school Georgia is said to be the leader for Gibbs, who first broke onto the recruiting scene in 2014, when he won an MVP award at a Nike camp as a sophomore. But expect Butch Jones and the Vols to continue to push hard for Gibbs, especially with his cousin Warrior now in the fold in Knoxville.

"At the end of the day, I don’t really base my decision on where other people go," Gibbs said, per Ryan Callahan of 247Sports. "Tennessee, I mean, I guess you could say it’s a little leeway. But, at the end of the day, I’m still going to have to do what I do. I’ve always looked at it that way."

Baron Browning: Texas vs. TCU

Credit: 247Sports (David Lake)

5-star OLB

Overall Ranking: 17 | OLB Ranking: 2

Hometown: Kennedale, Texas (Kennedale) | Size: 6'4", 230 pounds

Baron Browning was committed to Baylor until earlier this week, when the 5-star Texan decided to reopen his recruitment. While the linebacker has plenty of offers from programs all across the country, Browning's recruitment looks like it could be a classic battle between Texas schools.

According to his crystal ball predictions on 247Sports, Texas is the new presumed leader for Browning, with TCU close behind. Browning is scheduled to visit Texas for its junior day later this month, and he unofficially visited TCU the day before announcing his decommitment from Baylor.

"Browning has always been extremely high on Texas and has a tight relationship with head coach Charlie Strong," EJ Holland of 247Sports wrote. "UT should feel really good about where it stands with Browning."

Now that he has decommitted from Baylor, look for TCU to ramp up its efforts to land Browning, who could be a real star in defensive-minded head coach Gary Patterson's scheme. Those two look like the schools to beat right now for the nation's No. 2 outside linebacker.

Nate McBride: Georgia vs. Alabama

Credit: 247Sports

4-star ILB

Overall Ranking: 44 | ILB Ranking: 1

Hometown: Vidalia, Georgia (Vidalia) | Size: 6'2", 220 pounds

Former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is now the head coach at Georgia, and former Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is now at the same position at Alabama. As if these two staffs couldn't get any more familiar with each other, they'll cross paths plenty of times in the recruitment of 4-star Georgia linebacker Nate McBride.

McBride is the No. 1 inside linebacker in the country and a high-value target for both Alabama and Georgia as the 2017 cycle starts to heat up in intensity. He told Kipp Adams of 247Sports earlier this week that the Tide and the Bulldogs are in a "complete tie" right now for him.

"Kirby Smart was a big reason why I liked Alabama so much," McBride said, per Adams. "He is definitely a big influence on where I go. I think we have built a very close relationship over the past year or so. I would like for Kirby Smart to be my coach...Nick Saban, too."

Georgia currently has eight of the 10 crystal ball predictions for McBride, with Alabama taking the other two. This will be a huge recruiting battle for months to come between two cross-divisional SEC powerhouses.

Markail Benton: Auburn vs. Alabama

Credit: 247Sports (David Lake)

4-star OLB

Overall Ranking: 49 | OLB Ranking: 4

Hometown: Phenix City, Alabama (Central) | Size: 6'2", 227 pounds

Alabama will also go toe-to-toe with its biggest rival, Auburn, for the recruitment of the state's No. 1 player—4-star outside linebacker Markail Benton. 

Benton is trying to keep all his options open this early in the recruiting process, but the majority of recruiting experts think it's going to come down to Alabama and Auburn for his commitment. These two schools have split the top blue-chip talent in Alabama in the last several seasons, and Benton is the top pick at the moment.

The outside linebacker hails from Phenix City, which is less than a half-hour away from Auburn's campus in the far east side of Alabama. Auburn is said to be the leader for Benton, but never count out Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide for an in-state star.

"The atmosphere at Alabama is amazing," Benton said, per Chad Simmons of Scout.com. "I have been there for games and it is so loud every time. I like how they play hard and physical."

J.K. Dobbins: Oklahoma vs. Texas

Credit: 247Sports (Jeremy Clark)

4-star APB

Overall Ranking: 60 | APB Ranking: 4

Hometown: La Grange, Texas (La Grange) | Size: 5'10", 200 pounds

A Red River recruiting rivalry is shaping up for one of the country's best all-around running backs, as Texas and Oklahoma are said to be the top contenders for 4-star J.K. Dobbins.

The Texas native continues to pick up offers from schools such as Baylor, Notre Dame and Tennessee, but the Longhorns and the Sooners are seemingly the ones to beat right now. Texas has 58 percent of the crystal ball predictions for Dobbins, but Oklahoma has picked up the last three, as he recently made his third unofficial visit to Norman.

"I think highly of OU," Dobbins said, per James Hale of 247Sports. "It is a great place and I just love being up there."

The Longhorns are looking to get the in-state running back into Austin later this month for what is shaping up to be a star-studded junior day. Another school still has time to break into this race in a big way, but this looks like a clash between two bitter Big 12 rivals on the recruiting trail.

Tua Tagovailoa: Oregon vs. USC

Credit: 247Sports (Barton Simmons)

4-star QB-DT

Overall Ranking: 67 | QB-DT Ranking: 3

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis) | Size: 6'1", 190 pounds

The comparisons to Marcus Mariota are easy to make for Tua Tagovailoa. He came from the same high school in Hawaii as the former Oregon great, and, according to Andrew Nemec of the Oregonian, Mariota became a mentor to him on and off the field.

But Tagovailoa isn't an under-the-radar prospect like Mariota was in his high school days. No, Tagovailoa is the third-best dual-threat quarterback in the entire country and firmly in the top 100 as both Oregon and USC push for his commitment.

Oregon holds the edge over USC in the crystal ball predictions for Tagovailoa, but the Trojans have made it clear that they want him to suit up in Los Angeles for his future Pac-12 playing career. According to Johnny Curren of ESPN.com, USC's chances at Tagovailoa improved when it signed high school teammate Jordan Iosefa for the 2016 class.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Tagovailoa follow in Mariota's footsteps and commit to Oregon, who would definitely love to pick up a highly rated passer like him. But USC might pull out all the stops to land him over its Pac-12 rival from the Pacific Northwest.

Toneil Carter: LSU vs. Texas A&M

Credit: 247Sports (Tom Loy)

4-star RB

Overall Ranking: 68 | RB Ranking: 4

Hometown: Houston, Texas (Langham Creek) | Size: 5'11", 205 pounds

A new and quickly growing rivalry in the SEC West, LSU and Texas A&M have tangled a few times on and off the field, from the football field to the recruiting trail to the coaching carousel. 

One of their next big battles will be for 4-star Texas running back Toneil Carter, whose crystal ball predictions are split right down the middle between the Tigers and the Aggies. Carter has unofficially visited Texas A&M four times since last summer—most recently during the Aggies' junior day in January.

According to Jim Halley of USA Today, Carter's family became homeless when he was eight years old in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. His family moved from New Orleans and later landed in his current home of Houston. He and his family still have strong roots in Louisiana.

"We love LSU," Carter's older brother, Byron, told Halley last month. "We still go back to New Orleans a couple of times a year, usually for Thanksgiving and holidays like that. The option is still open and available."

Osiris St. Brown: Notre Dame vs. Stanford vs. USC

Credit: 247Sports (Isaiah Hole)

4-star WR

Overall Ranking: 95 | WR Ranking: 13

Hometown: Santa Ana, California (Mater Dei) | Size: 6'1", 178 pounds

Notre Dame already has one of the best names in the game with wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, and the Fighting Irish could also snag his brother, 2017 4-star wideout Osiris St. Brown.

But the younger St. Brown's recruitment won't be as easy as him just following his brother to South Bend. The other team said to be making a hard charge at Osiris is Notre Dame rival and in-state school Stanford, which is the only other program with a crystal ball prediction at 247Sports.

"I still want to keep my recruitment open," St. Brown said last November, per Tom Loy of 247Sports. "I’m not just set on Notre Dame. I really like Stanford. They’re one of my favorites."

Another West Coast rival of Notre Dame's, USC, could make a push for St. Brown this year, as the Trojans offered a scholarship just before Stanford did earlier this month. These two Pac-12 powers could make things quite interesting in St. Brown's recruitment in the coming months.

Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.